Method of treating finely-divided substances containing iron compounds.



T. 0. KING.

METHOD OF TREATING FINELY DIVIDED SUBSTANCES CONTAINING IRON COMPOUNDS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.7,1904.

Patented June 20, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

T. 0. KING. METHOD OF TREATING FINELY DIVIDED SUBSTANCES CONTAINING IRON COMPOUNDSx APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1904. 95 52 Patented June 20, 1911.

2 SHEBTSSHEBT 2.

TOM COBB KING, OF MARION, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR- niv'r ,E.

TO NATIONAL METALLURGIC COM- PANY, 0F JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A COILPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.-

METHOD OF TREATING FINELY-DIVIDED SUBSTANCES CONTAINING IRON COMPOUNDS.

ceases,

. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 20, 1911 Application filed September 7, 1904. Serial No. 223,640.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TOM Conn 'IING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Perry and State of Alabama, have discovered or invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Treating Finely-Divided Substances Containing Iron Compounds, of which improvement the following is a specification.

My invention relates to, broadly stated, 1

methods of treating substances containing iron compounds, such as iron oxids and carbonates, and finely divided iron ores, for use in blast furnace or open hearth practice, and is particularly applicable to the treatment of the iron oxids commonly called pyritic cinder, and .fiue dust.

In the manufacture of sulfuric acid from iron pyrites a by-product is obtained which consists of, principally, oxid of iron and a percentum of sulfur so high as to preclude the use of the iron oxid in blast furnace practice.

It is one of the objects of my invention to substantially de-sulfurize the byiproduct' and at the same time convert thesubstantially de-sulfurized oxid of'iron into irregularly formed lumps, or nodules of oxid of iron, which enables the use of the same in. the ordinary blast furnace without the loss of any considerable percentage thereof. I propose also to convert flue dust and comminuted 0r finely divided iron ores, (as, for instance, certain grades of Massaba ores) into irregularly formed nodules, which can be charged into furnaces without being con verted into fine dust. So far as I am aware, the by-product called pyritic cinder is usually regarded as awaste product, and no one, so far as I am aware, has successfully economically utilized the same in the manufacture of iron.

In the practice of my invent-ion, I charge the finely divided met-alliferous material into one end of the kiln and continuously discharge-the same at the opposite end thereof and during its progressive travel subject the same to"vary'ing degrees ofheat or such degrees of heat as are necessary to drive off whatever sulfur may be contained therein,

and after desulfurizing continue the heat to a degree sufficient to sinter the same into nodules, the heat thus applied being at a minimum at the beginning of the operation, the maximum at a period near the close of I the use of such binders or to desulfurize the same, and that a degree of heat above 2000 Fahrenheit is required to sinter the materials and enable the same to nodulize without the use of any added binder or flux, it being my purpose to avoid fluxes in the application of my process. During the time that such substance is subjected to heat, a rotary progressive movement is imparted thereto in a substantially horizontal direction, the result being that numerous irregularly shaped nodules are formed, which are substantially free from sulfur, and may be readily used with the greatest possible economy in the ordinary blast furnace or open hearth practice, and the harmful and wasteful production of flue dust largely'prevented. I have found that the presence of moisture in the substance facilitates the massing of the same and assists in t-he easy manipulation thereof, consequently where the substance does not contain moisture I add suflicient moisture thereto to mass the same.

In the accompanying drawings. I show an apparatus adapted to carry out-my method.

In said drawings Figure 1 indicates a perspective elevation of the apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same.

Referring to said drawings, 1 is a cylindrical retort or kiln, the interiorof which is lined with fire brick or other refractory material. The retort is provided with a num--. ber of tires 22 which are riveted or otherwise suitably secured upon the exterior thereof, and are ada, ted to operate upon the trunnions 3-3 which are journaled in bearings formed in the brackets or supports H, the said supports being secured upon the piers 5'-5. The said retort is also pro vided with a large worm wheel 6, which is suitably secured upon the exterior thereof, and meshes with and receives power from the worm shaft 7, which is driven by any suitable power. One of the bear ngs for said wormshaft is secured to one of said piers. The lower end of said kiln or retortterminates at the inner end of the hood 8, which is mountedon the truck 9, which is adapted to travel on the tracks or ways 10, whereby the position of the hood may be changed with relation to the end of said kiln for any necessary purpose. The head or closed end of said hood is provided with orifices, through one of which the fuel supply pipe 11 projects into the lower end of said retort, the other opening 12 bein for the purpose of enabling inspection of the interior of said kiln. The upper end of said kiln, which is somewhat higher than the lower end thereof, projects into the boiler setting 13, the said end being open and in communication with the charging chute 14, the upper end of whichprojects through one of the walls of said boiler set ting to the exterior thereof, for the purpose of enabling the substance to be charged or fed into said kiln. 15 is a boiler of any suitable construction which is located in said boiler setting above the open discharge end of said kiln, whereby the heated gases, generated in said retort serve to generate steam in said boiler. The said setting is provided with an exit flue 16, and said boiler with the usual water supply and steam discharge connections. The bottom of said hood is provided with an opening 17 through which the de-sulfurized and nodulized product is discharged into or upon the conveyer 18 located below the same, or into any suitable vessel or vehicle to convey or carry the same.

I claim as my invention or discovery and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The herein described method of treating finely divided substances containing iron compounds, which consists in subjecting the same, without adding thereto and incorporating therein binder substances, to varying degrees of heat ranging from degrees or temperatures, sufficient to desulfurizc, to degrees of temperatures sufficient to sinter the same, and imparting thereto, during the application of said heat. a rotary progressive movement in a su stamialtv horizontal direction, whereby the mass converted into numerous irregularly shaped nodules.

2. The herein described method of treating finely divided substances containing iron compounds which consists in adding a suflicient amount of moisture to mass the same, then subjecting the same to varying degrees of heat ranging from degrees or temperatures suiiicient to desulfurize, to degrees or temperatures suflicient to sinter the same, and imparting thereto, during the application of said heat, a rotary progressive movement in a substantially horizontal direction.

3. The process of agglomerating fine iron ores or residues which consists in first moistening the mass and then passing the same through a rotating kiln having a region in which the degree of temperature shall cause the particles thereof, due to the impurities contained therein, to fuse sufficiently to become semiplastic and sticky.

L. The process of desulfurizing and agglomerating fine iron ores or residues which consists in 1st moistening the massand then passing the same through a rotating kiln in one part of which itshall be exposed to an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature best suited for its desulfurization and in another part of which it shall be exposed to a temperature which shall cause the particles thereof, due to the impurities contained therein, to melt sufficiently to become semi:

plastic and sticky.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

TOM COBB KING.

In the presence of CLARENCE A. WILLIAMS, JOHN H. RONEY. 

